The Washington critic., 1887-11-30
AN ONO ROMANCE.
The Singular Matrimonial Experience
of Joe Allen and Ann Smith.

The Singular Matrimonial Experience
of joe Allen and Ann Smith.
The finishing touch has just been
added to one of the strangest romances
ever enacted In real life. Most Of the
actors In the strange drama are per.
sonally known TO the writer, and the
accuracy of this narrative is vouched
for absolutely.
In 1913. In the little town of Dorset,
Ohio, Joseph Allen, then In his 21st
year, was married to Mary Ann Smith,
aged 1s. Two children-boys-were
the fruit Of this marriage, and nothing
happe ned for six years that indicated
that there was to be anything unusual
In the lives Of the young husband and
wife.
When the California "gold fever"
broke out 1t prevailed with more than
ordinary intensity In the western
Reserve" In which Dorset Is situated,
and In 1s40 the young husband went to
the mines to make his fortune, promis
ing to keep his wife informed of his
movements, as well as of what fortune
attended him.
This, for some reason, he did not do,
and Mary, after waiting Till several
years passed without having heard
from her absent husband, In 1868
married her second husband, Amri
Low, then clerk Of the township.
The newly married couple soon
moved to farm In the adjacent town
ship, Cherry Valley, taking with them
the two sons OF the absent husband,
long before supposed to be dead. And
now comes In the Enoch Arden ele.
ment of the story.
In 1865 Joseph Allen returned from
California, not rich as he really do.
served to be, for he was an honest,
hard-working man, but poorer than
when he went West.
Finding his old love married he did
not make himself disagreeable or dis.
appear again, but made his home In
| Dorset, and In a short while married
Honor, the widow of John G. Craig.
| MIR. Craig had been until the day Of
thizer. The Western Reserve was an
abolition stronghold, and Craig sen.
timent served to make him we'll
known character. His wife was as
intensely Union In sentiment as her
| uueUuuu was stCctsu, uuu tuclI
married life was anything but pleasant;
but instead of being discouraged from
further matrimonial ventures, Mrs.
Craig looked favorably on Aliens
wooing, even though hts former wife
was yet alive and friend of hers.
The two families, both engaged In
farming and living but o few miles
apart, were intimate friends and visited
each other frequently. Neither Mrs.
Low nor the second Mrs. Allen had
any children, and Aliens two boys by
his first marriage lived alternately With
their father and mother.
Early In the seventies Mr.. and Mrs.
Low moved to Negaunee. Mich,
where, in 1880, Mr.. Low died. His
widow continued to live In Negaunee
until last winter, when she returned to
her old home In Ohio.
Last spring Joseph Aliens second
wife. Honor, died, and In the early part
Of the present month, forty.four years
after their first marriage, Joseph
Allen and Mary Ann Low were remar
ried and the last touch added TO al
strange series of matrimonial adven
lures as two people often experience.
Joseph Allen Is now prosperou
farmer. The two sons are now middle
aged men and have families Of thei
own who are old enough to be Inter
ested In the story Of their grand
parents two marriages.